Last week after my MBP was running hot and fans were on full speed, I shut the lid the set it aside; the next morning the video was dead. I took it into the Apple store, they ran a diagnostic test to check for the specific NVIDIA issue, and it of course failed so they had to replace the logic board. This was over memorial day weekend; I took it in Friday at 2pm, and I had my computer back in my hands by Wednesday 9am (even though Monday was a holiday). Not too bad. All my data was in tact.

I'm wondering now that I have the new logic board, if I should still install SMC 1.3 firmware update that shows up in Software Update or just ignore it. I'd obviously like to prevent any future failures (I wonder if the new logic board actually fixes the design flaw, or if it just gives me another year or two before it fails, too?), but don't want to fix anything that's not broken.

You would think the SMC update actually helps the reliability of the NVIDIA cards, rather than encourages them to fail to "weed" out the bad ones, right?

If it's under Applecare, Apple will replace it no problem. If it's not, you're probably screwed.

I also work as an Apple tech, and it's made me hate Apple in ways I never thought possible. Any iMac with an iSight on it (minus the white 24") should be crammed right up the backside of the prick who designed them. They're a pain in the balls to get apart. But I digress. If the MBP is out of warrant but potentially covered by the extension, the service provider MUST run a graphics tester on them. Plug in imaged hard drive, hold down D key on boot, wait for power LED to flash. Unplug from MBP, plug into working Mac, check text file. The thing is, 9 times out of 10 it tells us that no eligible video card was found. We still get a code that can be submitted to Apple, but they decide if it's covered and the answer is generally no. Customers call in and usually get shot down trying to get coverage. These are MBPs that are very clearly affected by the 8600GT issue.

Apple clearly did this as a PR move and has little interest in actually fixing their defective products. Earlier REPs (iMac G5s, for instance) were a piece of cake. Now Apple is making sure they can limit the number of covered REPs in any way they can. I've seen people less than a month out of the one year warranty get screwed.

I have a MBP (June 2007) that, in March, started having scrambled video when using the computer normally. Now, I get scrambled video at the start up screen (and a kernel panic) and the computer will not start (just tells me to restart). I brought it in to the Apple Store, and they said my computer wasn't affected. So, a year and half old computer won't start - and my computer isn't affected? I brought it in two more times... and they said there is nothing I can do but replace the logic board (no AppleCare), so that would cost me $1900CND.

I have a MBP (June 2007) that, in March, started having scrambled video when using the computer normally. Now, I get scrambled video at the start up screen (and a kernel panic) and the computer will not start (just tells me to restart). I brought it in to the Apple Store, and they said my computer wasn't affected. So, a year and half old computer won't start - and my computer isn't affected? I brought it in two more times... and they said there is nothing I can do but replace the logic board (no AppleCare), so that would cost me $1900CND.

That has got to be so frustrating. Getting burned once like this definitely encourages you to consider the cost of AppleCare as being essential and should be factored in when you consider the overall cost of the laptop. I've had AppleCare on my last two computers (Powerbook G4 and my MBP) and both times they saved me from costly repairs.

Anyway, I don't think the NVIDIA issue causes kernal panicsat least I have not heard of any cases like this. Typically the video is completely black, but the computer starts up fine (you just can't see it, nor can you use an external monitor). The techs in the apple store have a specific hardware test that can determine if the NVIDIA issue is the culprit of the problems, and it sounds like all three of your techs ran this test and it came up negative. What a bum deal.

That has got to be so frustrating. Getting burned once like this definitely encourages you to consider the cost of AppleCare as being essential and should be factored in when you consider the overall cost of the laptop. I've had AppleCare on my last two computers (Powerbook G4 and my MBP) and both times they saved me from costly repairs.

Anyway, I don't think the NVIDIA issue causes kernal panicsat least I have not heard of any cases like this. Typically the video is completely black, but the computer starts up fine (you just can't see it, nor can you use an external monitor). The techs in the apple store have a specific hardware test that can determine if the NVIDIA issue is the culprit of the problems, and it sounds like all three of your techs ran this test and it came up negative. What a bum deal.

I have been having A LOT of problems booting up my 2.4 Santa Rosa 17". I get the kernal panic all the time and I stopped using the computer for 2 weeks because it wouldn't boot at all and then realized that I might be able to run the Apple Hardware Test on the install CD. Came back with a Video Controller error. That means that there is a problem with the Video Controller, NVIDIA, but I'm not having a black screen issue. The problem did begin when I shut my lid one night and opened it back up and computer wouldn't boot past the error screen. I'm now on my 2nd logic board and want to get this one replaced. The laptop is hot as hell too.